My husband and I have our tickets- this year will be our first burn, and we are happily preparing all that we will need for the days on the road and week on the playa. One thing that I am curious about is how worried we need to be about theft. I know that it happens, but is it common in BRC? I live in a pretty safe place, where we often leave their doors unlocked when no one is home. I read somewhere here on eplaya that parts of the solar components were being taken from some of the deep playa art projects. But what about things left at camp while we go out in the evenings?

My son (for a birthday/thank you for paying for my college gift) is building us a large and probably expensive solar system to power our camp, which will include a vintage trailer and separate shade structure. We plan to secure it, probably in the bed of our truck, but are wondering how secure we need it to be? Protection from some opportunist asshole is much easier than what needs to be done if there are professional thieves roaming the camps. Should we relax and just use a few straps?

I have never heard of the theft of a solar system. (that just sound wrong--alpha centary came by and stole our planets. But I digress.) The major catagory of on-playa "theft" is some drunk rides off on your bike because you haven't locked it. Not pertinent here. The second is small items with value--ipods, cash and the like. I'd say that a decent lock would do. I don't think anyone's going out with bolt cutters taking solar systems.
However, I am not the final word on this one, and I'm pretty much working from hearsay, so just because this is the first answer, doesn't mean that it's the best.

The Lady with a Lamprey

"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri

gyre wrote:Sorry, but there is deliberate theft, and people going through rvs, etc.

Are they breaking RV locks? My trailer is the most important thing that I am bringing along. It is a 1963 airstream that was left to me 2 years ago when my little brother died. He lived in Florida and always wanted to bring it to burning man, but got sick and never made it. I will be bringing his ashes too. The door is practically unobtainable, maybe I should leave it unlocked?

If it were me, I'd lock the door. Thieves prefer easier targets (unlocked doors, items laying around) to noisier, harder, less-defensible-to-witnessing-eyes choice (break & enter). Items locked away are harder to covet. Also, if your RV is locked, for all they know, you're in there asleep. Most thieves don't want confrontation, they just want some stuff.

My campmate's mp3 player walked off on Burn night through an unlocked van door, and was probably in plain view through the window. That's my only secondhand experience with it. But I hear constantly about neglected booze, scattered tools & bicycles walking away. Just one more good reason to introduce yourself to your neighbors. If they know who you are and what you look like they're much more likely to greet someone loitering around your camp.

Bring a spare key for your campmate if possible, or devote special attention to securing it; people lose their keys all the time. Some carry one & hide the other. Not everyone is comfortable hiding one, though.

Somebody stole our bacon from our cooler one night last year. That's our only theft in 15 years, but we know a guy whose entire tent and its contents were stolen.

It's all anecdotal; I'm sure someone somewhere has a list of reported crimes on the playa, but I wouldn't guess how many people don't report the petty theft that goes on.

On the whole, I expect honesty and get it. But I don't tempt fate by leaving cash, cameras, and the like laying around all night in the open.

I understand you don't want the system stolen, so secure it as best you can and make sure your insurance agent has the system covered just in case. I think your division into opportunists is correct, as opposed to professionals.

The issue is 'sleep at night.' Do enough security you can sleep at night without worrying about theft. Have your son build in a motion detector alarm. :->

get to know your neighbors...it's amazing how once you have a vested interest in something, or somebody, they will in turn watch out for you...

i like to believe people are basically honest, and yes, there are some professionals who prey on the confusion of the last couple of nights to go after easily pawnable items, but all in all, i have found BRC to be more trustworthy than any city or community i have ever lived in.

it's up to the citizens to police the community, not only for theft, but for inappropriate UNWANTED behavior, and or violence. The notion of being Banned from the best place on earth is a strong motivator in keeping people from doing things that might incur such a punishment.

I've heard that generators sometimes disappear. I've also heard of people's tents and all of their possessions disappearing too, though I think most of those stories were because the person forgets where his tent and stuff were, and not being able to find it, just blamed it on thievery.

Crime happens everywhere. Probably less at BM than in the default world. My advice is just do what you can to prevent crimes of opportunity, like lock your bike, don't leave small valuables out in plain sight, etc.; basically, just use common sense.

We camp with a theme camp, so there is usually someone around at all times, which helps.

Also, you might want to be a bit more vigilant on burn night.

JKhttp://www.mudskippercafe.comWhen I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle.Then I realised that the Lord doesn't work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me.

jkisha wrote:I've heard that generators sometimes disappear. I've also heard of people's tents and all of their possessions disappearing too, though I think most of those stories were because the person forgets where his tent and stuff were, and not being able to find it, just blamed it on thievery.

Crime happens everywhere. Probably less at BM than in the default world. My advice is just do what you can to prevent crimes of opportunity, like lock your bike, don't leave small valuables out in plain sight, etc.; basically, just use common sense.

We camp with a theme camp, so there is usually someone around at all times, which helps.

Also, you might want to be a bit more vigilant on burn night.

Very true
one burner I know set her tent up out on j or h but failed to notice what Time; It was her first burn, she garbed her water and hit the dust.
and then how in the hell I'll never know she shows up at my bus "hey dude" and I ask "Where you live."
Over there some where....
she found her tent on Thursday her neighbors recognized her as she was passed out on our hamoc, the woke her up to tell her they moved her tent a few feet to accommodate for some cars. she asked them where it is they said 7:00 and I, she passed back out and when she woke she said "Did some one tell me they found my tent"

.......................................................................................Oh yeah, this year I was totally twerping out at the fence. ~Lonesombri

Are they breaking RV locks? My trailer is the most important thing that I am bringing along. It is a 1963 airstream that was left to me 2 years ago when my little brother died. He lived in Florida and always wanted to bring it to burning man, but got sick and never made it. I will be bringing his ashes too. The door is practically unobtainable, maybe I should leave it unlocked?

If there's jsut a couple of you, locking is good...keeping in mind if someone wants to get in bad enough, no lock will stop them. Be sure to hide an extra door key somewhere in a magnetic Hide-A-Key thingy. Keys get easily lost on the playa.

Don't bore your friends with all your troubles. Tell your enemies instead, for they will delight in hearing about them.

I'll be bringing bolt cutters; 14", 24", and 36"; lock pick sets; padlock defeaters, and vehicle entry tools.
And... I'll be bringing my locksmith's license .
I'm not the best entry guy, but if someone is locked out of their vehicle or lost their padlock key, AND they can provide proof of ownership or ID and fill out an identity-affadavit form, it'd be nice to save them having to break a window or do ??? to a bike they're locked out from.
I'm also bringing a key punch that can crank out keys for Master brand locks. I will have none of this "I only have one key" bullshit! You come see me . I will make you a spare or two, see if I don't. I can hand duplicate keys with files and will be bringing blanks for most padlock brands.

Public bikes that jackasses padlock will be liberated. Though I suspect a Ranger throwing some jedi mind tricks their way would be a sweeter spectacle with less personal arse risking.